History of the Penn State Lectures on the Frontiers of Science

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The Penn State Lectures on the Frontiers of Sciences begun in 1995 by a group of Penn State Eberly College of Science faculty in the Center for Gravitational Physics and Geometry. It was an innovative move for our college because these lectures were designed for the enjoyment and education of average citizens rather than for a specialized audience composed exclusively of scientists, as were our other annual lectures at that time. This initial year was such a huge success that Dean Gregory Geoffroy decided to adopt the lecture series as a college-wide project and to provided it with a budget. For a number of years, funds were provided by a generous grant from the Pfizer company, allowing us to upgrade the series in ways that enhance its public-outreach mission.

Penn State's Lectures on the Frontiers of Science listing by year and theme